3 Experts Weigh In On Brad & Angelina's Unconventional Engagement

In this day and age, it's not uncommon to hear about people having children out of wedlock. However, with Brangelina's recent engagement, people seem unsure of what to think. In the seven long years the two have been together, they have become the parents of six children. Though they aren't the first couple to break the love, marriage, then family mold, many people are wondering why they waited so long to tie the knot. Three of our experts weigh in ...

Babies Before Marriage: Did Brad & Angelina Do It Right? by Susie & Otto Collins: "Life doesn't always work out the way that we might have envisioned it, let alone the way we or others think it should go. We know that this traditional sequence of events — love, marriage, and then babies — has not been the only way for quite some time now. Jolie and Pitt are certainly not the first couple in history to have children before getting married."

Brad & Angelina Broke The Rules & So Did I by Ms. N Meridian: "Though the union of Jolie and Pitt — nicknamed Brangelina by the press — goes against the norm, the pair are just another example of many of us who did everything out of order ... Personally, I know many who fell in love, started careers and families, before ever getting married. It seems that the order of operations, the fine line that was once drawn indisputably surrounding the order of things, is dissolving."

Has Marriage Become An Outdated Institution? by Marni Battista: "Helen Fisher, Ph.D., says, 'A hundred years ago, if you had a child out of marriage, you would be social disgrace. Today, women feel comfortable enough economically and culturally to bring up a child without a recognized commitment from a man.' Will marriage as an institution in America soon be outdated? Many couples feel that marriage is simply a piece of paper and just don't want to rush into it."

What do you think? Did Brangelina get it right, or should they have tied the knot before having kids together? Sound off in the comments below.